National Camp No 3

The Academy squad completed their 3rd and final National camp in Geelong during the January school holidays. Using the facilities of Deakin University, the Lexus Centre and the Geelong Conference Centre, the athletes completed a range of valuable educational activities presented by well-qualified and prepared educators. I would like to acknowledge the following presenters for their time and support, Cameron Ling (Geelong FC), Brad Gotch (Collingwood FC), Chris Bond (Western Bulldogs), Damian Farrow, Gavin Freeman, Steve Dowlan, Michelle Cort (AIS), along with Gary Buckenara and his staff at the Hawthorn FC.

Tall Player Program

The Tall Player Program is conducted concurrently with the Academy’s 2nd & 3rd National camps. 12 “Talls” undertook the core components of the Academy program along with specialised tuition from current AFL ruckmen Steven King (Geelong) and Josh Fraser and Guy Richards (Collingwood). The contribution of these three players was invaluable.
“That last camp was great! The ruckwork we did with Steven King, Josh Fraser and Guy Richards was especially good. I learnt a lot and I really appreciate it. Thanks.”
(Extract from Training Report from Ed Wilson living in Parkes, NSW).


AFL Club Induction Week

The ‘AFL Club Induction’ program within the AIS/AFL Academy is an excellent opportunity for the athlete to gain a first hand insight into the training program of an AFL footballer.
The success, of this component of the Academy program, lies with the manner in which the AFL clubs approach it. I would like to acknowledge every club for their support in providing the four-day experience to each of our athletes. The generosity of the club staff, club coaches, senior players and former Academy graduates in their time and patience has made a huge impact on each of our athletes.

Food Diary No 3

This diary was to be completed this week, Tuesday 1 – Saturday 5 February and mailed on to Michelle at the AIS.
Ensure that it contains the amount of detail necessary for an accurate assessment of your diet. Remember to do the cooking as well!
The following athletes have put pressure upon their final Academy results by not sending their Food Diary No. 2 to Michelle; 2, 7, 10, 17, 18, 21, 25, 36, 38 to receive boots.

Reebok Boots

The final parts of our boot order should be completed soon with just 12, 14, 33, 36 and 43.

Media Interview and Junior Match Umpiring

All athletes are to ensure that they have handed the letter of request for assistance in arranging your media interviews and umpiring junior games, to your club Development Officer.


INTERNATIONAL RULES SERIES

Arrangements for the tour to Ireland are now coming together.

Official Uniforms and Playing Gear

All athletes and staff were measured up for their official uniforms during the Geelong camp. These will be delivered by mail either to home addresses or to your State Football body by 14 March 2005. This mail-out will include:

Official Uniform

* Trousers
* Polar Fleeced Vest
* Collared Shirt
* Tie
* ¾ Length Jacket
All athletes and staff are to wear black shoes, dark socks and a black belt as part of our official uniform.

Playing Gear

* Match Socks
* Match Shorts

Additional AIS Gear

* Polar Fleece Top
* Wet Weather Jacket
* Wet Weather Bottoms
* Long Sleeved T/Shirt (Training Top)

What else to bring

* AIS Tracksuit
* White and Blue T/Shirts
* Academy training shorts/white socks
* Blue Polo shirt
* Fawn Cargo shorts
* Swimming gear (Not boardies)
* Mouth guard
* International Rules football (Nos 16 - 30)
* AFL Football (Nos 1 - 15)
* Heart Rate Monitor
* Kicking Goggles
* Football Boots (Screw Ins with spare studs)
* Water bottle
* Tennis Ball (For self-massage)

Tour Diary

I will be distributing a “Tour Diary” for athletes to complete during our time away. You do not need to bring your Academy folders, just pens.

Traveling to Melbourne

WA athletes flying into Melbourne on Monday 21 March are, for the first and only time, allowed to wear “civvies”.

All athletes, either flying into Melbourne or traveling by car to Telstra Dome on Tuesday 22 March are to travel in their official uniform with black shoes, dark socks and black belt. There is no need to wear the vest.

On arrival at Telstra Dome you will also have:

* Your luggage packed in your one suitcase/traveling-bag/pack, which you should not have to open between home and Belfast.

* Your Academy football bag which must include our “flying gear” of Blue Polo, Cargo shorts, white socks, Reebok runners, and cap. We will change into this gear after the Jumper Presentation function. Please bring your “official uniform” carry-bag and coat-hanger to put your uniform into once we change. As these will all go “under” the plane, please ensure that your bag is clearly labeled with your name and home address.

* Your small backpack with your personal needs, including some toiletries, snacks and water bottle, and entertainment material to take onto the plane with you. You should also include for our Ireland arrival, at least your AIS tracksuit top.

Flights to Melbourne

Flight bookings have been made with Qantas for athletes to fly into Melbourne. Electronic tickets are to be collected at the Check In counter and you are to ensue you have the appropriate identification available.

The following flight details will be confirmed in the March Newsletter.

Clinton Benjamin, Clayton Collard, Grae Grant, Scott Gumbleton, Leroy Jetta, Eric Mackenzie, Garry Moss, Matt Riggio, Patrick Ryder, Justin Simpson
Booking Ref: tbc
21 March (QF 802 PER/MEL Dep: 10.10am Arr: 4.35pm)
Hamish OGILVIE Booking Ref: tbc
21 March (JQ 42 HBT/MEL Dep: 3.55pm Arr: 5.05pm)
* Accommodation to be arranged in Melbourne

Daniel Dzufer, Lindsay Trigar
Booking Ref: tbc
22 March (QF 611 BNE/MEL Dep: 7.50am Arr: 11.05am)

Jon Cheetham, Alex Hutchins, Travis Varcoe
Booking Ref: tbc
22 March (QF 676 ADL/MEL Dep: 9.05am Arr: 10.50am)

Grant Birchall, Tom Hislop, Mitchell Thorp
Booking Ref: tbc
22 March (JQ 106 LST/MEL Dep: 9.00am Arr: 10.00am)

James Bennett
Booking Ref: tbc
22 March (QF 763 CBR/MEL Dep: 10.00am Arr: 11.00am)

* Athletes, and any family members on these flights, will meet at the Qantas baggage collection of the domestic terminal and then bus to Telstra Dome. Lindsay Trigar (arriving from Brisbane) will manage this transport

Jumper Presentation

All athletes will be presented with their Australian match jumper during our official function at Telstra Dome on Tuesday 22 March 2005. This jumper will be the final piece to be packed.

You may invite family members to this function, whether they are part of the touring party or not. An expected cost estimate is $50.00 per head (excluding athletes and staff).

Please see section title ”Information I Need” further on in this Newsletter.

Passports

All athletes and staff are responsible for ensuring they have a valid and current passport. There are no requirements for visas during this tour.

Again, please see the ”Information I Need” section.

Luggage

There is a maximum of 20kgs per passenger to be booked in as luggage. To save embarrassment at the airport do not exceed this and even leave room for bringing extras home. You will not require any more than 2-3 changes of “civvies”.

Money

It is probably a good idea to arrive with a little local currency and this exchange can be done at any of the airports. Most major traveler’s cheques are accepted in Ireland.
Plastic cards are probably the most convenient traveling companions. Credit cards can be linked to an ATM network. Check with your bank for which ATM’s in Ireland accepts your card.

The next Newsletter will include a guide to parents regarding “how much money to take.”

International Flight

Tuesday 22 March

All families are invited to the Official Jumper Presentation Dinner at Telstra Dome. Commercial car parking is available under the stadium and athletes, staff and families, are to gather in the Victory Room at 12 noon. At this time all members of the traveling party are to please bring their entire luggage to the Victory Room. The bus to the airport will be loaded from this point.

At the conclusion of the function athletes and staff will then change into their “flying gear”.

At 2.30pm buses will take the athletes, staff and other members of the touring party, who are flying on the same flight, to the airport. Our Qantas flight QF 09 MEL/SIN departs at 5.10pm.

Flight time to Singapore is 7 hrs and 20 minutes. There is a 1hr and 50 minute wait during which we will stay within the airport.
The flight time then to London (Heathrow) is 14 hrs and 05 minutes. Although there are in-flight movies, athletes need to prepare themselves with books, games, and music to help fill in this time.

The next Newsletter will be giving “Traveling Tips” for our athletes. We arrive in London on Wednesday at 5.25am local time and again will spend the wait time (unfortunately some 5 hours) in the airport.

Our flight from London to Belfast, Ireland on British Midlands flight BD 84, departs at 10.50am and takes 1 hr and 25 minutes arriving at 12.15pm Ireland time.

It will be around 2.00pm Wednesday afternoon when we check in to the hotel.

That is 32 hours from when we left Melbourne !!!!!

We will stay awake and active until around 8.00pm.

Tour Program

Our tour program is still forming and will be presented in more detail in the next Newsletter.

Parents and friends are most welcome to join us on the identified sightseeing tours and at the official dinners hosted by the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association).

To assist me with numbers please refer to the Information I Need section again.

The skeleton of the program is as follows:

Wednesday 23 March

Accommodation:
Jurys Inn
Great Victoria Street
Belfast
http://www.hotelbook.com/static/welcome_25814.html

Thursday 24 March

Late afternoon Practice Match against the County of Ulster.

Friday 25 March (Good Friday)

Recovery session and then sight seeing tour for total touring party.

Saturday 26 March

Training and match preparation day.

Sunday 27 March

First Test in County Armagh as a curtain-raiser to Armagh v Kildare National Football League game. Followed by an Official Dinner for total touring party.

Monday 28 March

Recovery session, then buses for the total touring party to Dublin.

Accommodation:
Jurys Custom House Inn
Customs House Quay
Dublin
http://www.jurysdoyle.com/index.php?hotel_pid=25317

Tuesday 29 March

Training session and tour of Ireland’s equivalent of our MCG, Croke Park and the GAA museum.

Wednesday 30 March

Second Test in Dublin as a “stand-alone” game, followed by an Official Dinner for total touring party.

Thursday 31 March

Recovery session, then buses to Ennis for total touring party.

Accommodation:
Auburn Lodge
Galway Road
Ennis
http://www.quick-hotel-search.com/hotel.php?id=704201

Friday 1 April

Training session and then a sight-seeing tour for total party

Saturday 2 April

Training and match preparation day.

Sunday 3 April

Third Test in County Kerry as a curtain-raiser to Kerry v Tyrone National Football League game in Killarney. Followed by an Official Dinner for total touring party.

Monday 4 April

Medical assessments, rehabilitation and AFL sessions

Buses to Shannon airport for 1.35pm departure on Aer Lingus EI 376 to arrive in London at 2.55pm

Accommodation:
Radisson Vanderbilt Hotel
68 Cromwell Road
London
http://www.radisson.com/londonuk_vanderbilt

Athletes, under staff supervision, will do an evenings sightseeing of London.

Tuesday 5 April

Hotel check-out at 10.00am with luggage left in storage. Athletes, again under staff supervision, will do a “days” sightseeing of London.

Buses will depart the Vanderbilt at 6.00pm for Heathrow airport. Families staying on in London will be joined by their son at this time.

London/Singapore flight QF 10 departs at 10.05pm, a 12 hours and 50 minutes flight

Wednesday 6 April

Arrival in Singapore is at 5.55pm local time. From here the party will split to fly directly to Perth, Brisbane and Melbourne.

* Sin/Perth flight QF 078 departs 7.25pm (4hrs 55min) arriving 12.20am (Perth time) on Thursday 7 April.

* Sin/Brisbane flight QF 052 departs 9.20pm (7hrs 20 mins) arriving 6.35am (Brisbane time).

* Sin/Melbourne, continuation of flight QF 10, departs 10.05pm (7hrs) arriving 4.45am (Melbourne time).

Saturday 9 / Sunday 10 April

After such a long and arduous journey we strongly recommend that athletes do not play club or school football over this weekend.

Flights from Melbourne

Again, the following flight details will be confirmed in the March Newsletter.

Jon Cheetham, Alex Hutchins, Travis Varcoe
Booking Ref: tbc
7 April (QF 671 MEL/ADL Dep: 7.10am Arr: 8.00am)

Grant Birchall, Tom Hislop, Mitchell Thorp
Booking Ref: tbc
7 April (QF 2711 MEL/DPO Dep: 8.30am Arr: 9.45am)

Hamish Ogilvie
Booking Ref: tbc
7 April (QF 1011 MEL/HBT Dep: 8.20am Arr: 9.35am)

Current Touring Party

Catherine, at AFL Travel, has confirmed the following touring party albeit that there are subtle variations in some family arrangements.

If you are considering touring with the group you must act immediately as bookings will definitely close on Wednesday 9 February.

Judy Murphy Marc’s mother
Janice Pinkerton Marc’s Aunty
Alan Thompson Geelong Falcons (TAC Cup)
Patricia Thompson Alan’s wife
Michael Turner Geelong Falcons (TAC Cup)
Angela Ellis Xavier’s mother
Geoff Ellis Xavier’s father
Jill Gumbleton Scott’s mother
Rodney Gumbleton Scott’s father
Terry Stanley Danny’s father
Cathy Stanley Danny’s mother
David Bennett James’ father
Lesley Daw James’ mother
Sally Arthur
Christine Tyler Matthew’s mother
Rowan Smith Matthew’s Grandfather
Alice Smith Matthew’s Grandmother
Ray Hislop Thomas’ father
Karen Hislop Thomas’ mother
Jacob Hislop Thomas’s brother
Zachary Hislop Thomas’s brother
Caleb Hislop Thomas’s brother
Stephen Bartram Clint’s father
Dianne Bartram Clint’s mother
Perry Benjamin Clinton’s father
Stuart Eddy Robert’s father
Frances Eddy Robert’s mother
Desley Mackenzie Eric’s mother
Bill Mackenzie Eric’s father
Hugh Mackenzie Eric’s brother
Patrick Mackenzie Eric’s brother
Kathy Hutchins Alex’s mother
Stephen Wells Recruiting Manager Geelong FC
Trevor Woodhouse Recruiting manager WCEagles


Information I need

This Newsletter will also be mailed to each athlete.

The mailed version will contain a form requesting information on:

* your son’s passport details,
* medications which he may be taking with him
* family and friend attendance to the Jumper Presentation Function at Telstra Dome
* family members requiring bus transfer from Telstra Dome to Melbourne airport (22 March)
* family members attending Ireland sightseeing tours and official GAA functions

Would you please fax or mail return this form to me by Tuesday 1 March.

Further Information

More specific details will be included in the March edition of our Newsletter but if you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.



Terry Wheeler
AIS/AFL Academy Head Coach